EPISODE 167
Chefs on the Spectrum: An Innovative Employment Program
for Autistic and Neurodivergent People,
with Chef Franklin Becker and Chef Joseph Valentino
for Autistic and Neurodivergent People,
with Chef Franklin Becker and Chef Joseph Valentino
Play the Episode…
Show Notes
This episode features Chef Franklin Becker and Chef Joseph Valentino discussing their work with the Chefs on the Spectrum program at Chef Franklin’s restaurant Point Seven in New York City. Chef Franklin explains how his personal experience as a father of an autistic son inspired him to create the program, which connects autistic adults with meaningful careers in professional kitchens while helping restaurants become more inclusive workplaces. Chef Joe shared his journey from facing job rejections and difficult work environments to thriving as a chef at Point Seven, where he has developed important skills like managing ticket orders and preparing mise en place properly. The discussion highlighted how Joe’s presence has positively impacted the entire kitchen team by teaching tolerance, acceptance, and compassion, while also breaking down stigma about autism in the culinary industry.
Learn more about Chefs on the Spectrum
Featuring
Chef Franklin Becker
Chef Franklin Becker is the Chef and owner of Point Seven, a fine dining restaurant in New York City. Chef Becker has more than three decades of culinary leadership spanning some of the city’s most acclaimed kitchens and restaurant concepts. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, a National Board Member of Autism Speaks and the founder and Culinary Chair of the organization’s Celebrity Chef Gala, a role he has held since 2007. Franklin’s connection to autism is deeply personal: he is the father of an autistic son. That experience has shaped his longstanding commitment to advancing awareness, opportunity, and inclusion for autistic individuals and their families. Through his experience in the hospitality industry, Chef Franklin helped launch Chefs on the Spectrum, a national workforce initiative designed to connect autistic adults with meaningful careers in professional kitchens while helping restaurants create more inclusive workplaces. He is the author of three books on cooking and the culinary arts.
Chef Joseph Valentino
Joseph is Chefs Council Member, Chefs on the Spectrum, and a Chef at Point Seven. He serves as an integral member of the kitchen team at Point Seven, working alongside the culinary team in the execution of service and daily kitchen operations, contributing his expertise across food preparation, cooking, plating and pastry while maintaining the high standards of quality, consistency and food safety expected in a professional kitchen. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University, as well as associate degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from Hudson County Community College. His culinary career spans more than a decade in fine dining, restaurants, banquet and catering operations, in high-volume institutional kitchens. Joe was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, and developed a passion for cooking from an early age, dressing as Emeril Lagasse for Halloween three years in a row. He continues to pursue his culinary career, building on his education, technical skills and professional experience that ultimately led him to Point Seven.
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…and Continue the Discussion
Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.
1. In addition to having an autistic son, what were Chef Franklin’s motivations for starting the Chefs on the Spectrum program? Do you know of other parents or family members who have started successful employment initiatives, or other activities with similar motivations?
2. What special qualities does Chef Franklin describe that make the work of a chef particularly well suited for some autistic individuals? What are some of the barriers and challenges that such work may pose for some individuals and how have these challenges been met by Chef Joe at Point Seven?
3. Chef Franklin talks about Chef Joe bringing “love and joy” into the kitchen and even teaching other members of the staff empathy. How has Joe changed the culture of Point Seven? Do you know of other circumstances where the participation of an autistic person has helped to shape the culture of a setting in a positive manner?
HOSTED BY
Barry Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Dr. Barry Prizant is a speech-language pathologist with more than 50 years experience as a researcher and international consultant for autistic and neurodivergent individuals and their families. He is an Adjunct Professor of Communicative Disorders at the University of Rhode Island and Director, Childhood Communication Services (a private practice). Previously, he served as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Brown University School of Medicine, and held a tenured professor appointment at Emerson College. Publications include 5 books, most notably Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism (2015; 2022) and The SCERTS Model manuals, an educational approach implemented in more than a dozen countries. He has published 150 scholarly chapters and articles and serves on numerous professional advisory boards for journals and professional organizations. Barry has presented more than 1000 seminars and keynote addresses internationally, including two invited presentations at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day. His career contributions have been recognized with honors from Brown and Princeton Universities, the Autism Society of America and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Visit Barry’s website here
Uniquely Human, the book (Updated and Expanded edition!)
Dave Finch
Dave Finch is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband. As a writer and creative consultant, his work has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NPR, SiriusXM, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Howard Stern Show, and the award-winning Netflix series, Atypical. Based in Denver, Dave’s company, Elevated Studio, produces this podcast and other recognized series.
Visit Dave’s website here
“I have read a million and one books on Autism. Uniquely Human is the best book I have ever read, hands down. Thank you Barry for this incredible gift!!!!”
– Navah Paskovitz, Mother of three boys with Autism, Co-Founder, the Ed Asner Family Center
“Compassion, learning and supportive strategies–the three essentials for working with folks with ASD–are an integral part of this must-read book.”
– Michelle Garcia Winner, Speech Language Pathologist and Founder of Social Thinking
“Thanks be to Barry for the first-ever must read written for parents, educators, and clinicians.”
– Michael John Carley, Founder, GRASP; Author of Asperger’s From the Inside-Out
“What makes the book compelling is how funny Mr. Finch is about himself. He’s great company.”
– Susannah Meadows, The New York Times
“In this hilarious memoir (which also gives some of the finest explications of Asperger’s out there), Finch approaches trying to be a better husband and father with the determination of Sherman marching on Atlanta.”
– Judith Newman, People (4/4 stars)
“Talk about being on a roll. This dude wrote a book, he has Asperger’s syndrome. He cured himself by listening to me on the radio!”
– Howard Stern